Cotton-harvesting machine.



PATENTBD APR. 28, 1908. G. H. ZEMPTER. COTTON HARVESTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1907.

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GEORGE H. ZEMPTER, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO COHN WITNEY & G OLDFARB, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.l

gathering the cotton, the more prominent ob COTTON-HABVE STING MACHINE.

Applaus@ met may 27, 1907. sans; up. 876,042.

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Zalamea,

citizen of the United States, and ,resident of' Greenville, .in the county of llVashing'ton,l and State .of Mississippi, have invented certain 119W. and useful v mprovements in Cotton- I-Iarvesting Machines, of which the following isa speeication.`

The. sub'ect of the present invention is an improved cotton harvester of that type wherein pneumatic means are employed for jects of the invention being to simplify and render more effective this class of construetOnS, aswell asY permit the cotton to beI automatically delivered to a sack or other receptacle detachably connected with respect to 'the harvester, so that such receptacle when sion through-t desired can be readily disconnected and removed for emptying, o r replaced by another. lWith the above' and otherl purposes in view, the improved harvester comprises a suitable support or body on carrying wheels, the flatter adapting it for transportation either by being drawn by horses, or propule medium of motive power, a

. suitable motor, a suctionchest, exhaust 'fan 'and rece tacle for the harvested cotton beingA -mounte on' said support, andmutualliy dis'- ation prosed in successive longitudinal re om frontl to rear and ooactlve 1n a compact and eilicient manner, provision being `also present for thev conneo'tiQIl. Of the flexibletube or. tubes by which the cotton is removed from the lant and conveyed to the .chest.

T ere are otherimportant features connected with 'the invention, which, besides those alluded to, are clearly set forth in the subsequent detailed descri tion.-

In the accom spying Wing for-ming part of this spec' cation-Figure '1, is a side elevation of a cotton harvester embed ing my invention. Fig.,2 'is a plan view o the machine. disclosed in Fig. '1,the belt gearing the motor with thev driven pulley of the rotary fan being omitted. Fig. 3, is a front elevation of said machine.- Fig. 4, is a vertical sectlonaldetail view ofthe rotary fan. Fig.

5, is a-detail view of the sack-engaging-ring and parts more immediately supportingthe same.

-' Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts in the several figures ofthe drawing wherein they occur.

portation,

extended horizontal platform A, `mounted on suitable carringwheels adapted for transto the front thereof, is` mounted. a motor E, which for the sake` of convenience and econ.-

pon the platform and adjacent omy, will preferabl be a small hydro-carbon engine of the higA compressionl type, and

adapted to be supplied'by oil from a. reservoir E', in immediate relation to such engine. Also on the platformand. behindl the reser-v voir E', is asmall vertical frame F, of. such height as to enable it to support 'at its top.' and in. a plane slightly-.above the reservoir and engine, a longitudinally extended suc-` tion chest lf carrying at its forward 'end` a short horizontal and forwardly project casing F2, obliquely from the top and sides o s whichproject the forwardly'y disposed nipples. y

e r erf. These nipples as will eadily.. un stoodare designed-to have attached, thereto,

.the inner ends oflengthsf, of flexible tubing indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The chest F is provided at its rear With a small box f X within which is mounted a flapvalve or damper 62, the pivoting rod of which projects externa y at' one; side for the connection of ashort operating.handle f3, perinitting the position of the valve to b e adjusted to vary the area of .communication through the box.- A sectorf, has a series of) notches'for permittin the engagement and retention of the han ein any of the positions to which it may be moved in adjusting` the valve, the handle beingcapable of` a limited lateral sprin -yield for suchV purpose. Connecting with t e en d of the boxf downwardly curved pi e g, the lower end of which is connected wit the tangentially l0- cated intake g', of the casing o the rotary fan G. The rotating member of this'fan comprises a cylindrical hub g2 interiorlg braced andthe radial curved blades g3, bo

Ima'.

the hub and blades being of y'such transverse width that' they snugly' ractically extend across the s ace between t le side walls of the fan casing, ut without interfering with the free revolution kof 'said hub and blades. The

latter are .of such length that theirouter,

edges will sweep in close proximity to theinterior surfaces of the peripheral portions of the caser" These blades are also so -cuved thatwhenthe fan is rotated in the direction,v

indicated'by the arrow in Fi 4the con-- vexed sides of said bladesw' presented 55 The support or body comprises an in the' direction ofthe horizontal tangential 119 'which the outlet g, extends. This ring has noted that the4 length of the platform and the v position of the ring H, are such that when thel sack is engaged' as described, it can be A 3oy I the fan discharge, such guard permitting the en agement of the sack therewith.

with the ex aust fan, is such'that the air and 'position of the valve f2, for the more prou dischar e outlet g4, of the fan casing, until the bladesmove upward beyond said outlet.

Parallel inclined bars h, It, rigidly mounted on the platform at the sides of the fan G, pivotally support at their rear upper ends,.a

vertical transverse ring H, centrally within externally a series of radial spurs or projections h, desi rial formingt emouthof a sack I. It will be sup orted longitudinally on the end portion of t e platform. f

From the `description thusy far, it will be readily com rehended that with the `en ine running an its driving wheel E, geare by a belt e with a pulley g5, secured on the projecting journal of the fan-hub, the rotary member ofthe fan will revolve ata high rate of sp'eed thus inducing an exhaust action of considerable force through the flexible tubes, the casing F2, .suction chest F f valve box, connecting pipe, fan casing and terminating in adischarge within the sack. The power of the suction action thus induced, will be controlled to a considerable extent' by the nounced throttlin osition of the latter, the more ositivewilA be the exhaust action. c As t e machine moves forward, the attend ants ap ly the o en ends of the flexible tubing to te bolls w ich are thereupon detached and drawn through the tubes and. delivered YWithin the casing F2,- roni whence they pass into the chest F `past the boxfx, and next successively to the ipe f2, and'fan casing,

being ultimately discharged the salck" Manifestly, the cotton wiilbe retained such sack while the airesca es #through the interstices of the latter. `V' en the sack becomes filled, it can be disengaged from the ring H, and another but empty sack adjusted in its lace. v .v A Wit a view of preventin the cotton from being blown from the sack y back action of the air, the 'ring H, is preferably provided with an inner guard II,of reticulated fabric, having a central opening for the reception of cotton; -1 l The pivotal connection of the ring H, permits it to be tiltedfor the more convenient free escape of the air but serving to retain the t will be observed that the arrangement of the casin F?, suction chest and connection cotton during their passage. into and from the casing F2, to the ,exhaust fan, encounters no abrupt angles or changes of direction ofi travel, said air and cotton movin' ina longitudinal direction throughout t .eir trav-- ed to be engaged by the mateerse to thefan. This avoids any tendency seaest to undesirable lodging or choking, vbesides insures uniformity of the action of the air current. The particular oblique position of the nipples f, likewisecontributes to this result. j

. The engine, its reservoir, the frame F, suction'chest F', 'and the exhaust fan willall be' rigidly secured in position.

As before intimated, the improved har? vesteris simple iii-construction; andV highly efficient and useful in operation.

I do not. Wish to be understood as limiting myself` to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but reserve the right toall modifications thaty may be fairly considered within the scope of my invention. Having now described nay-invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters est, a motor-geared fan having a gaged inreceiving position relative to said disv l charge, said casing, chest, fan communication,

nipples, a stationary horizontal a fan and engaged portion of the sack all successively disposed in the same vertical longitudi V nal plane, and said motor being also in the with ia suction chest, means for conveyingy cotton to` the latter, 'and a fan communicating ywith said chest and having a discharge for horizontally delivering in a longitudinal direction, pf tilting means in receiving posi-- tion relative to said discharge, and a sack horizontally disposed and supported and' having its mouth portion detachablyengagf ing the tilting means; said several elements being mutually dis osed in vertical longitudinal relation and a lwithin theiplan f area of the platform. p

8. In a cotton-harvester, thev combination with a suction' chest, means for Vconveying the cotton to the latter, and a fan communicating with said chest, 'of a' ring provided with a guard receiving the fan-discharge and perforated for the escape of air, anda cotton with a suction chest, means .for conveying the cotton to the latter, and a fan communicatre'ceptacle detachably engaged with said in with said chest and discharinghorizonta y, of a vertical ring sup orte inreceivin. position relative tothe an discharge an 100 `same plane, said motor and other longitudinally arranged elements mentioned being all.

having sack-engaging pro'ections, and a horizontal' sack-support a apted to maintain a sackWith its mouth in longitudinal registry with the ring.

5 5. In a cotton-harvester., the combination with a suction chest, means for conveying the cotton to'the'lattenand a fan communicating With'said chest and discharging horizontally, of a ringpivotally supported at each side in receiving f osition. re ative to the fan dis'- u charge an :having sack-engaging projections .and a horizontal sacksupport .adapted to maintain a sack with its v mouth in longitudinal registry 'with' the l5 6. 11

a cotton-harvester, the combination with a suction chest, means for conveying the cotton to. the latter, and afan communicatini;l With said chest and discharging horizonta y, of a suitably supported vertical ring -having sack-engaging pro'ections andl inte'- riorly provided With ape orated guard having an opening in receiving position relative to the fan discharge, and a horizontal sack. -support adapted to maintain 'a sack with 1ts mouth in longitudinalregistry with the ring. Signed at Greenville,l in the county of Washington, `and State of Mississippi, this 23d day of- February, A. D. 1907. v

I GEORGE H. ZEM'PTER. Witnesses:

' JOEL CoLM, BEN N ELKE'N. 

